Last month, [artist id="968"]Beastie Boy[/artist] Adam "MCA" Yauch shocked fans by announcing that he has cancer, and that he would begin receiving treatment immediately to combat the disease, resulting in the cancellation of the group's scheduled concert appearances and a delay in the release of their next album.

Early Wednesday (August 5) morning — at 3:07 a.m. ET — in an e-mail with the subject line "What I did over my summer vacation," Yauch updated fans on his treatment (calling it, at one point, "torture,") and thanking them for their support while he recovers from surgery. Yauch has cancer in his parotid gland, a salivary gland in the throat; doctors are optimistic that he will make a full recovery.

"So I'm about a week-and-a-half out of surgery now and rapidly recovering from it. I haven't taken any of the pain meds, which supposedly speeds along the healing process, or should I say, taking them slows it down," he wrote in the e-mail, which was sent to subscribers of the Beastie Boys' newsletter. "I spent one night at the hospital after the surgery ... The hospital was too crazy to get any rest so I headed home to relax, have home cooked food and hang out with the family.

"I'm pretty well detoxed from the anesthesia that they pumped me up with to keep me under for all that time," he continued. "My neck and jaw are still pretty stiff from the surgery, but it gets better everyday. Had the stitches out this past Monday ... so things are moving along."

Yauch said that the next step in his recovery process is to begin receiving localized radiation therapy.

"But no sooner am I on the mend from this first torture than are they lining up the next one," he wrote. "The next line of treatment will be radiation ... that involves blasting you with some kind of beam for a few minutes a day, five days a week, for about seven weeks. That will start in a few weeks."

"Saw the [artist id="1269"]Jay-Z[/artist] cover of [the Beastie's] 'No Sleep [Till Brooklyn]', and the Coldplay one of 'Fight For Your Right [To Party]' from APW on YouTube. Good sh--," he wrote. "And I heard Karen O [of the [artist id="1229828"]Yeah Yeah Yeahs[/artist]] wore a 'Get well MCA' armband, and that [artist id="508501"]Q-tip[/artist] gave a shout out too ... very kind of them."

Yauch concluded the e-mail with thanks to his fans, who he credits with helping get him through the early stages of his cancer treatment.

"Just wanted to thank them and everyone else who sent positive thoughts my way," he wrote. "I do think that all of the well wishes have contributed to the fact that my treatment and recovery are going well. ... Much love back at all of you!"